The Baseball choke is a fundamental submission in BJJ. Sometimes referred to as the Baseball bat choke, it involves grabbing inside your opponent’s collars and twisting to tighten the lapel against their arteries. This move was popularised by Majid “Gorilla hands” Hage. Hage would even hit the Baseball choke from bottom positions such as side control which is typically uncommon. In doing this he gained notoriety as this was previously unseen against Black belts.
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Setting up the initial Baseball choke grips
To set up the Baseball choke you need both hands in the opponent’s collar. The far hand should be palm up whilst the near hand should be palm down, like holding a bat. With the opponent’s neck in between your hands, this already begins to put pressure on their arteries.
The next step is to move around the opponent’s head. Whilst keeping the initial grips, this adds further tension to the choke. The final step is to pull the opponent’s neck up whilst on your toes and basing down with your head. With all these intricacies combined, it makes the choke very tight and can create a quick finish.
Entries into the Baseball Choke
Usually, the Baseball choke is entered from top side control or knee on belly. Because these are dominant top positions, it gives the top player time to set the initial grips. The baseball choke can also be entered from the mount too, albeit this is less common, as a side angle is more optimal to start the position with.
However, the Baseball choke is also possible from the bottom. Typically this is done as a bait type move from either closed or half guard. Pretending to allow the opponent to pass, you can then set your collar grips.
Finishing the Baseball Choke
Once the opponent thinks they’ve passed you can then spin under them to create the choke. Sometimes people may even pass out from the top position of a Baseball choke. This is often due to the element of surprise as it is generally not expected. A good mentality to have during training is to always be wary of grips inside your collar. This is because even in a dominant position they can be used to quickly submit at any moment.
Another, less fundamentally sound entry is from bottom side control. As mentioned before, Magid Hage was a master at this position during his competition days. Here he could set the grips and allow the opponent to pass. With the grips committed he could then turn under his opponent and apply the choke.
The issue with this move is that usually students are taught to escape bad positions rather than submit from them. Because of this, we don’t advise doing this unless you are very comfortable with the position and submission. Inexperienced grapplers may end up worsening their position by trying the choke from the bottom, as it can expose Armbars if done incorrectly.
With that said, the success of Hage’s Baseball chokes proves that whilst there are rules in BJJ – they are not always concrete. This means that whilst someone may say a move is ‘bad’, it does always apply to others who can make it work for their game.
Escaping the Baseball Choke
Like all submissions, there are counters to the Baseball choke. Again, a lot of BJJ can be countered by stopping the initial setups. For instance, simply defending your collars from grips is a good place to start. However, this is not always realistic, especially against good opponents.
One escape from knee on belly is to bump your opponent forward with a knee to their behind. This bucks the top player forward and must be done with some force. The force should unbalance the player and force them to post with their arms. In doing this you may not escape the position altogether, however you can remove the grips and start focusing on escapes.
From side control, the Baseball choke can be defended by putting the nearside arm up. Similar to how a boxer blocks punches, the idea is to flair the elbow and create a physical barrier. This means the opponent cannot force their grip into the throat as it is stopped by the arm. The issue with this defense is that it may buy time but an aggressive opponent may still attack the choke and turn it into a nasty crank. Depending on your pain tolerance this may be ok but it may still lead to a tap.
Summary of the Baseball Choke
The Baseball choke is a fantastic move that is almost exclusive to the Gi. Because of this, you won’t see it in MMA although some specialists can finish it in Nogi (but this is very difficult). With this in mind it is a good addition to any Gi players attack and offers a variety of options from the top position, as well as being a sneaky choice from the bottom.
Depending on your preferences, it can used from a number of positions. Fundamentally, it can be used from solid positions such as side control. However, it can also be used from the bottom or even during passing. With this said, it can be used in an obvious manner, or as a sneak attack based on surprise.
